Southern Livings Best Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

How to make it

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• 1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl.
• Toss butter with flour.
• Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas.
• Cover and chill 10 minutes.
• Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• 2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed.
• With floured hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).
• Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour.
• Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).
• 3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan.
• (Dough rounds should touch.)
• 4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.
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• OPTION:
• Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits: Omit 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Combine 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/3 cup chopped pecans with flour in a large bowl. Proceed with recipe as directed. Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. buttermilk until smooth. Drizzle over warm biscuits.
• Yield: Makes 2 dozen
• Belongs to: Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2007